


What a Catch

by McEuropeskies



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Hanzo thinks feet are inefficient, Kissing, Lifeguard Jesse McCree, M/M, MerMay 2020, Mermaid Hanzo Shimada, One-Shot, Rescues, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24208387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McEuropeskies/pseuds/McEuropeskies
Summary: Jesse is a skilled lifeguard with a love for the ocean. During one particular rescue, he has a mysterious encounter that changes his life.We all know it's merman Hanzo, guys.
Relationships: Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada
Comments: 8
Kudos: 210





	What a Catch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here's my Mermay fic that I've been working on! I hope you enjoy. <3

The beach was always so peaceful in the moments before it opened to the public, and it was moments like this that reminded Jesse of why he took this job. It was a picturesque scene; the morning sun shone down, rays cascading off of the ocean’s surface in a way that made the water shimmer like one large, precious gemstone. It was quiet save for the rhythmic push and pull of the waves and the seagulls chirping overhead, hunting for their breakfasts. The sun hugging his skin and the salty breeze brushing over him made Jesse feel content and while the tranquil silence comforted him, blanketing with the calming warmth of nature. It was breathtaking.

And then the tourists began arriving, pitching their over-sized umbrellas in the sand before running wild. It wasn’t that Jesse hated lifeguarding. He simply hated that he had to constantly remind people to use common sense. It was always, “Kids, stop eatin’ sand and drinkin’ saltwater,” or “No, this isn’t a nude beach,” and most common of all, “Sorry, ma’am, I can’t rub sunscreen on your back, but maybe you should ask your boyfriend who’s glarin’ at me pretty intensely right now.”

Other than that, it was pretty nice. Jesse got paid to kick back and occasionally play hero which, lucky for him, normally only involved swimming panicked kids back to shore when the tide dragged them too far out. Despite the lack of common sense, people were fortunately good swimmers and helped each other out, keeping things from escalating to a point that Jesse needed to get himself involved.

Jesse sat up in his chair, more and more families arriving with beach towels in hand and children sprinting towards the cool water. He took a bite of the apple he brought with him and scanned the shore. As if they were a school of fish, the shallow water slowly filled up with more swimmers, and surfers waited around for sufficient waves to ride. Sometimes it was hard for Jesse to keep track of them all, so when he was blowing his whistle to stop a pair of kids from dunking one another he hardly noticed the lanky preteen swimming past the row of orange flags protruding from the water.

When Jesse whirled to face the kid, the rip current was already pulling him out to open ocean. Jesse immediately hit the sand with his buoy and started running towards the water, making the other nearby lifeguards aware of the issue with his whistle signals. The kid yelled and paddled against the current, but Jesse could tell he was already getting exhausted.

Never taking his eyes off of the struggling kid, Jesse splashed into the water and used the current to help propel him out to where he was floating. “Hang on, I’m comin’!” Jesse called out to him, but the boy did not stop exhausting himself with his flailing limbs. “Calm down, you’re alright!”

The boy fell underwater. Jesse swore to himself and dove down after him, swimming as hard as he could as the boy continued sinking. Jesse was beginning to panic himself – the boy’s eyes were shut and Jesse’s lungs didn’t exactly have unlimited air.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something swimming towards them, and briefly, Jesse feared that it was a shark. Then he made out a face and long, flowing black hair. Another lifeguard?

Then he saw the tail. A long, deep blue tale that began at the man’s waist and extended some feet behind him. Shimmering scales ran down the length of the gorgeous tail, and various sinewy fins protruded from multiple areas. Bubbles floated up from Jesse’s mouth as he let out a surprised yell.

The creature ignored him at first, swimming instead to the boy and carrying him in his arms over to Jesse. Without a thought, Jesse took hold of the kid and began paddling back up towards the surface. He chanced a quick glance back and saw the creature watch him curiously for a moment before swimming up behind him and wrapping arms around his waist. Jesse flew to where his buoy floated on the surface at an alarming speed; he felt like a torpedo and was surprised that he didn’t fly through the air as he broke through the surface. Taking a gasp of fresh air, Jesse propped the boy up between him and the buoy and felt himself being pushed towards the shore. Once he was nearing the other lifeguards and beach-goers, he heard a deep _you’re welcome_ whispered behind him, and just like that, the pressure against his back vanished.

It all happened so fast. The shock still had not subsided by the time Jesse reached the shore with the boy. As another lifeguard came over to begin chest compressions, Jesse sat on the sand and looked out at the waves. There was no hint of his encounter, not a glimmering tailfin splashing above the water nor a glimpse of the black hair flowing away. Jesse rubbed a hand down his face.

It was unreal. It was spectacular. It was magical.

Soon the child was coughing up water and gasping for air beside him, and Jesse breathed out a sigh of relief. His mind was running wild, being stretched to too many places at once. He couldn’t wrap his head around anything at the moment.

As he found himself surrounded by the boy’s frenzied family members giving emotional thank you’s and wet hugs, the word _merman_ crossed Jesse’s thoughts quick as a flash.

* * *

The following morning, Jesse arrived for his shift bright and early carrying his usual lunch of a sandwich and fruit in a brown paper bag under his arm. Waves crashed along the empty beach, washing up pebbles and other small treasures that would be scavenged by beach-goers throughout the day. Jesse felt the sun beating down especially hard, its rays roasting his skin despite the sea breeze, and he figured that some extra sunscreen wouldn’t hurt.

Jesse had had time to think about his encounter since his shift yesterday, and as he rubbed himself down with sunscreen, he once again went over the possibilities. First, he thought that perhaps the merman could have been a hallucination brought on by panic and a lack of air, but that didn’t explain the physical phenomena. The creature carried Jesse through the water at an amazing speed, something he would not have been able to accomplish on his own. Next, he imagined that one of the fellow lifeguards was playing a trick on him with one of those faux mermaid prosthetics. However, it had hardly been the time or place for such a joke, and the man did not resurface after the incident.

The most likely explanation was that it had actually happened. Jesse saw an actual merman. He chuckled to himself as he approached his chair, but he stopped short when he noticed an unusual formation before him. A few feet ahead of his chair sat an unnatural pile of bright red beach glass, their powerful glow capturing Jesse’s eye like dancing flames. He walked over and gently picked up a shard, rubbing the smooth edges between his thumb and forefinger.

Then, Jesse quickly shifted his gaze out towards the water. The head that had been watching him was too slow at trying to hide below the surface, and Jesse caught a glimpse of the same black hair that had graced his eyes yesterday. “Hey, wait!” Jesse called, running out into the water until he was about waist-deep.

A furrowed brow and intense pair of eyes emerged some yards ahead of him, and Jesse smiled. “Hey there,” he said and then held up the shard of red glass. “Were you the one who left all this?”

The merman gave one slow nod, like it should have been obvious that a legendary sea creature left him a pile of brightly colored, ocean-tossed glass. “Well thank ya,” Jesse replied. “It’s beautiful, just like yourself.”

After all, why should his flirtations be limited to land?

The merman responded by lifting his tail above the surface and bringing it back down quickly, the tailfin spraying Jesse with the salty water. He supposed he deserved that; he should have at least asked for the guy’s name first. “Sorry,” Jesse said after blowing away droplets of water from his lips. “I outta thank ya for helpin’ me out the other day. It was real kind of ya. Can I ask your name?”

The merman remained silent and simply stared at Jesse.

“C’mon now. You know I heard ya talkin’ yesterday. You ain’t gotta hold out on me now.”

After what seemed like a moment of contemplation, the merman nodded and swam closer. He softened his brow and almost looked as if he were trying to hold back a smile. “Hanzo,” he said, deliberately showing off his long, needle-like teeth in the process.

Jesse gasped and scrambled away, suddenly more aware that the merman could be trying to have him for breakfast. Maybe the creature was a siren, luring him to his demise like the stories told of. Jesse made it back to the shore at a record pace only to hear boisterous laughter behind him as the panic subsided.

The merman – _Hanzo_ – was curling in on himself, overtaken by a fit of loud laughter. Jesse sighed and pushed his hair back, realizing that if Hanzo had wanted to kill him, he could have easily done it by now. “Very funny!” Jesse called out. “I’m Jesse, by the way!”

Hanzo smiled at him before turning and swimming off into the ocean.

* * *

Jesse arrived even earlier the following morning to give him more time to spend with the mysterious Hanzo. It had not been long since the sun had risen into the sky, and the air was much brisker than it was later in the day. When the wind blew, Jesse felt small goosebumps pop up on his forearms.

Luckily, though, Hanzo was indeed there waiting for him, his head poking out of the water with a smile. Jesse called out a “good mornin’” as he set his lunch, towel, and sunscreen off by his chair.

Hanzo responded by motioning for Jesse to swim out to meet him with a swing of his arm. “Alright!” Jesse called, but as he took his first step into the water, the low temperature made him cringe. “Uh, any way you can come a lil closer?”

Hanzo swam about a yard closer, still far enough out that Jesse had to walk until the water reached his stomach. He hissed at the chill and held his arms up above the surface. Hanzo raised his eyebrows; he seemed amused.

“I have another gift,” Hanzo said. The sharp teeth were still a bit unsettling.

“Oh, ya didn’t hafta do th—” Jesse paused as Hanzo held a long, slimy strand of seaweed out to him insistently. He wasn’t entirely sure what Hanzo wanted him to do with it, but he forced a smile while accepting the _gift_. “Why, thank ya kindly. It’s…beautiful.”

Hanzo broke out into a fit of laughter similar to the one yesterday. It was deep and smooth and made Jesse’s face heat up until it looked like he was sunburned. “That’s seaweed,” Hanzo said.

“Erm…yeah. I know,” Jesse said, still holding the strange gift in a closed fist.

“Why do you want it then?”

“I…um…you gave it to me? I didn’t wanna be rude.” Jesse let the seaweed drop from his hold and float away.

Hanzo snickered. “It was a joke. I did not expect you to take it and thank me for it.”

“Thought ya wanted me to wear it as a scarf or something,” Jesse mumbled.

“Do you think I would _wear_ seaweed?” Hanzo asked, his face scrunching with mock disgust.

Jesse chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I don’t really know! I didn’t even know ya existed a few days ago, so I have no idea what your customs are.”

Hanzo smiled again and moved his tailfin against Jesse’s legs. It was slippery and smooth, although a bit sharp at the ends. “It is my _custom_ that I catch my breakfast around this time before the seagulls get the best catches, and I am starving. So, if you’ll excuse me,” Hanzo finished and moved to swim away.

“Wait,” Jesse said, and Hanzo glanced back over his shoulder. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

Hanzo nodded almost immediately. “Certainly.”

* * *

Their meetings carried on for several weeks. Every day, Jesse would wake up early, occasionally stopping to buy Hanzo some fresh seafood along the way – he found that Hanzo loved the smoked salmon he bought for him one day, so that was normally his first choice. He would always find his odd friend at the beach while it was still empty, simply floating and waiting to see if Jesse brought him a snack. They chatted and asked questions about one another such as “have ya ever fought a shark” or “why is human skin so soft and mushy?”

On one of Jesse’s few days off, Hanzo had a proposition. “I would like to show you something,” he said. “But I’d have to swim you there.”

“What is it?” Jesse asked, stepping further into the water until he was right in front of Hanzo.

“It’s a surprise,” he said and then turned his back to Jesse, motioning for him to hold on.

“Are ya sure about that?”

Hanzo scoffed. “Do I look like I am too weak to carry you?”

Jesse hesitantly swam closer and wrapped his arms around Hanzo. “No, ya don’t. But don’t forget that I need air.”

With that, Hanzo held onto Jesse’s arms like he was holding the straps of a backpack, and he took off. Jesse couldn’t help his initial gasp; he had expected the extra weight to drag the other down tremendously, but Hanzo was still a living speedboat. Jesse’s body uselessly floated along with him as Hanzo rocketed them to their destination.

As they approached a large rock formation, Hanzo looked back at him. “Hold your breath,” he said and then dove down. Jesse had time to fill his lungs with air before he fully handed over his security to Hanzo, trusting the merman to guide him through the shadowy water before he ran out of air. They went down a very short distance until Hanzo pulled them through an opening in the rocks. Then, the water was filled with light again, and Hanzo lifted him above the surface.

When Jesse was able to breath once more and fully take in his surroundings, his jaw dropped. They now sat within a roomy cove, surrounded orange, mossy stone, and a hole in the rocks above them let in enough sunlight to brighten the entire area. The water was a bit cooler, but it was still and perfectly blue. Some flat stones protruded above the surface, giving Jesse a place to rest from swimming if he wanted to, and another partially-submerged stone was covered with a bed of moss.

“Hanzo, this…this is gorgeous,” Jesse finally said. “Is this where ya live?”

“Yes, my brother and I,” Hanzo said, looking around proudly as Jesse treaded water beside him. “It was hard to find a place like this that had not already been discovered by tourists. Luckily, this one is hidden enough.”

“You got a brother?” Jesse asked, dumfounded.

“Did you think I was the only one?” Hanzo chuckled.

“Well, naw, that wouldn’t be very sustainable for a species and whatnot, but I guess I didn’t think there were so many of ya hidin’ right under our noses,” Jesse said, giving Hanzo’s nose a little _boop_ for emphasis. “Where’s the other guy at? I’d love t’meet him.”

Hanzo blinked as Jesse poked his nose and quickly turned away. “I had told him to leave for a while. Genji can be a bit of a handful, and I did not want you overwhelmed.”

Jesse smiled. “Aw, how sweet of ya. You don’t hafta worry so much, though. Ol’ Jesse here can handle a lot.”

Hanzo smirked. “Well it seems like _ol’ Jesse_ ’s legs are getting tired.” He allowed his tail to rise to the surface and he began floating on his back. Then, he patted his chest. “Here. Lay with me. I am very buoyant.”

Truthfully, Jesses legs weren’t tired, and even if they were, there were plenty of places for him to sit. He simply was notabout to start complaining about being invited to rest on Hanzo’s toned chest. Jesse swam closer into a particularly strong patch of sunlight and positioned himself to rest atop Hanzo, head pressed against his pec. The cool water and smooth skin was pleasant against his cheek, and he felt even better when Hanzo gently rested one arm across his back and the other in his hair.

It was peaceful. Floating there on a very handsome raft in blue, sunlit waters was more comfortable than Jesse could have ever imagined. He felt brave enough to reach out a hand and caress Hanzo’s scalp from under the water, feeling the man’s soft, dark hair soft flowing. Hanzo sighed happily, and he directed Jesse’s head closer, closer, closer until their wet lips met.

Jesse felt his eyes slowly close as their lips slotted together perfectly. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t been hoping for something like this to happen. Hanzo was funny, easy to talk to, and breathtakingly beautiful. Jesse couldn’t help his quickening heartrate whenever he laid eyes on the merman.

But when Hanzo tried to deepen the kiss, Jesse’s breath hitched and he found himself pulling away, nearly falling backwards into the water. Hanzo’s eye’s widened, and his frown reflected hurt. He moved to back away from Jesse, but Jesse quickly cupped his cheeks. “Hold on, wait,” he began defensively.

“I’m sorry. This was a mistake,” Hanzo mumbled.

“No, Hanzo, listen. It’s not that. The kiss was great! It’s just…uh…” Jesse tapped at his own front teeth with his pointer finger. “Your chompers could bite my tongue right in half.”

“Ah,” Hanzo said, his smile slowly returning. “And here I thought that you had suddenly lost interest.”

“Hell no. Just wanted to remind you to be careful with those weapons of yours.”

Hanzo laughed his deep, soothing laugh, and Jesse was enamored. He pulled Hanzo in and connected their lips once more, and the merman splashed his tailfin with delight.

They stayed like that, swimming the perfect water and making out until Jesse’s skin pruned and the sun was beginning its descent; only then did Jesse have Hanzo return him to land. When Hanzo disappeared into the darkening horizon, Jesse already found himself missing him.

* * *

Sometimes after his morning shifts, Jesse liked to catch some waves on his old surfboard. It was always nice to feel the wind in his hair and the excited leap in his heart whenever a good wave carried him through the water. It was as if he were gliding through the ocean air, droplets of water spraying over his body. Goddamn did Jesse love the beach.

The waves were nice and big one Thursday afternoon just as been forecasted, so as soon as he clocked out, Jesse hit the water with his board. There were quite a few other surfers, but there was certainly more than enough room for all of them. They swam over and under the insufficient waves and waited for a large enough one to surface.

Jesse didn’t mind the waiting. Sometimes, it was nice to simply float and breath in the fresh air. Although, when a big wave did appear, Jesse was quick to snap out of his relaxed state, adrenaline kicking in as he began paddling. When the wave caught the back of his board, Jesse quickly stood up and balanced himself. The wave was strong and carried Jesse as he directed his board left and then right, zigzagging through the waters with grace.

Then, Jesse felt a hand wrap around his ankle and tug. He came crashing down into the water, rolling with the wave until there was a knock against his head and everything went dark.

* * *

He woke up with a throbbing headache and let out a pained moan. A pair of arms cradled his head close as he rested on a flat, dry stone. Jesse shifted his gaze up from the chest he was pressed against to find Hanzo looking down at him with a worried expression. “Jesse,” he said, pushing his hair back with gentle hands and kissing Jesse’s forehead.

“What happened?” Jesse mumbled and nuzzled his face closer to Hanzo’s body.

“Ask my brother,” he spat.

Jesse looked around Hanzo’s cove and found another merman watching them with eyes guiltily downcast. His hair was a bright green that matched his tail, and patches of lime scales ran across his cheeks. It must have been Genji.

“I’m sorry,” Genji mumbled. “I didn’t mean for you to hit a rock. I just wanted to pull you off of your board as a joke. Hanzo had been talking about you like crazy, so I just wanted to introduce myself with a big entrance. I feel terrible.”

Jesse figured that he might have a concussion and should go to a hospital after all of this. He was grateful that Genji brought him back to Hanzo, though. He meant well. “It’s all good,” he said. “I’m still breathin’.”

“Thanks,” Genji mumbled. “I guess I also didn’t realize how squishy humans were. You’re fragile!”

“Yeah, so Hanzo’s told me,” he said with a chuckle.

“Well! I’ll leave you two alone!” Genji suddenly said, winking and disappearing under the water.

Hanzo sighed and rubbed his temples. “Sorry.”

“Nah, it’s fine, really. It was a memorable introduction. I like him.”

“Thank you,” Hanzo said, kissing Jesse’s forehead again. “He really didn’t mean to, but…he was right about you being squishy.”

“You keep sayin’ that!” Jesse sputtered.

Hanzo shifted down halfway into the water near Jesse’s feet. “I will prove it,” he said, and grabbed a foot between his hands.

“Now what’re ya doin’ down there?”

Hanzo suddenly squeezed the tender flesh of Jesse’s foot, and he found himself snorting with laughter. “See? It is so soft,” Hanzo said and squeezed again, pulling more laughter from Jesse. The merman seemed surprised at this reaction. “Does it make you laugh?”

“My feet are very ticklish, pumpkin,” Jesse said.

“How do you walk without laughing then?” Hanzo asked in shock.

“It only tickles when someone else touches ‘em,” Jesse said, smiling at the absurdity such a statement may carry to someone without feet.

Hanzo hummed and shook his head. “Much too vulnerable. And these,” he said, grabbing Jesse’s toes, “are stupid.”

“Hey! Maybe I think your fins are stupid then.”

Hanzo looked like he was about to splash Jesse but remembered his injury and decided against it. “Would you like me to take you back to shore so nobody thinks you are dead?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Jesse said, sliding into the water and letting Hanzo take hold of him. “But hey, c’mere.”

Jesse pulled Hanzo in for a quick kiss, licking at his bottom lip and rubbing a thumb along his cheek. Hanzo let out a small moan and melted into the kiss until Jesse pulled away. “Can I see you tomorrow?”

Hanzo’s eyes lit up as he nodded. “There’s no place where I would rather be.”

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of based my vision of Hanzo's lil cove off of Devil's Den Spring in case you were curious ;)
> 
> And as always, just in case you wanna know, I have a twitter! Come say hi if you want :) [@McEuropeskies](https://twitter.com/McEuropeskies)  
> 


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